The mission of the RVOEP is to operate the Pinecrest Drive (location of RVOEP) site as an outdoor education center for teachers, students, and other members of the community. Programs emphasize land stewardship; outdoor ethics; education and recreation; problem solving and critical thinking; awareness of and responsibility for nature's ecosystems; research on changing habitat conditions, and other applications. The RVOEP is visualized as a legacy to be passed from present generations to future generations, a generational chain. The RVOEP goals are:
- to preserve a parcel of undeveloped land to serve as a classroom where teachers and students of all ages expand their knowledge of and appreciation for the intricate interactions of all aspects of the unique ecosystems present;
- to provide a place for people to experience the benefits of good stewardship of the land through interactive experiences with nature and with each other;
- to provide educational experiences for individuals, allowing them to reexamine their relationships with themselves, others, and with nature;
- to create an educational facility that focuses on all aspects of nature, wildlife and land use and is available for appropriate research projects.
The Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project was started by a group of community members in 1995 when they approached the Ukiah Unified School District about using a 45 acre parcel of undeveloped second growth oak and madrone woodland owned by the district as an outdoor school. The Ukiah Unified School District granted the group five years use of the site with the stipulations that no cost be incurred to the general fund of the district and that no permanent structures be erected on the site. An extension of use was granted in November 1999 to run through June 30, 2003. An additional use extension will be requested in August 2002. The The Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project therefore is self-supporting financially through grants and donations.
The site was prepared with a grant from the Environmental Education Unit of the California State Department of Education and the first students came to the site in the spring of 1997 on one-day field trips. Since that time approximately 8,000 students have visited the site on one-day field trips.
In 2001 the The Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project received an anonymous grant of $50,000 for five years to fund a credentialed teacher on site. Helen Menasian is the Educational Coordinator who is a classroom teacher and holds a Master's Degree in Outdoor Education. Assisting her is Instructional Aide Amy Aikman Brower who holds a Bachelor's Degree in Outdoor Education. They welcome students to the site Tuesday-Friday during the school year; during inclement weather they visit classrooms with the educational program. The educational program has been developed using "A Child's Place in the Environment" and "Sunship Earth" as guides.
The The Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project has been able to fund the cost of buses to transport Ukiah Unified students to the site. Providing bus funding greatly increases the number of students able to visit the site.
In the spring of 2002 a covered gazebo was erected on the site allowing students to visit in marginal weather, and giving relief from the hot sun in the late spring and early fall.
Educational Coordinator: Helen Menasian, credentialed teacher. Experience teaching 5th and 6th grades at Oak Manor School in Ukiah. Master's Degree in Outdoor Education from the University of Oregon.
Instructional Assistant: Hannah Bird (Otter) comes to the RVOEP from the UK. Before moving to Ukiah Hannah managed a wildlife visitor center for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in Scotland.LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
By Helen Menasian, RVOEP Educational Coordinator, from the Winter 2007 - 2008 Newsletter
In 2001 the Ukiah Unified School District received an anonymous donation to fund a teaching position at the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project (RVOEP). This was the beginning of an exciting and challenging mission for me----designing and implementing a comprehensive outdoor environmental education program. The goal: to involve as many students as possible in meaningful hands-on learning opportunities on 45 acres of woodlands. Almost seven years later, it is gratifying to look back and see that, with the help of a cadre of volunteers from our community, we are truly providing a unique and rich learning opportunity to our students. In the past 6 1/2 years 13,317 students have participated in programs at the RVOEP. In addition, 9000 students have taken part in RVOEP classroom programs during the winter months. So what do these numbers actually mean? How have students benefited from their experiences at the RVOEP? Let’s take a look at what our educational program has accomplished in the past 6 1/2 years.
In the past six years, 1,515 Kindergarten and first grade students have discovered the incredible world of nature as they participated in a special Earth Walk. What fun these youngsters have had building tiny leprechaun nature trails, looking for rainbow colors hidden in the forest, listening to a symphony of spring bird songs, and taking pictures of the wildflowers with invisible cameras!
3,360 students have uncovered the intricacies of how good topsoil is formed. Their adventures in the “Soil Kitchen” have helped them discover the important role that plants and animals play in the soil making process.
2,813 students have participated in a first-hand investigation of food chains in the wild. In the process, they learned that green plants are a vital component of all food chains and key to the survival of each link in the chain.
500 students have been transformed into Naturalists for a day as they carefully mapped a meadow habitat, drew artist sketches in the forest, and wrote poetry by the river.
2,000 students have conducted a census of a forest ecosystem, carefully recording the name, address, and job of the plants and animals that inhabit this community. As these students discovered the important niches of a wide array of producers, consumers, and decomposers they have been surprised to find no unemployment and an intricate web of interdependence!
1,670 students have gathered data about the quality of water, aquatic life, and riparian plants in and along the Russian River to see if it is a good habitat for salmon and steelhead. After studying the value of native plants in our ecosystems, 110 students planted trees and sedge to help improve habitat for fish and wildlife.
873 students have participated in the RVOEP Flight School program and learned about the essential roles that birds play in our ecosystems. Flight School students have had the opportunity to work with scientists and Audubon volunteers to conduct surveys to determine which habitat at the RVOEP supports the greatest diversity of bird species.
395 students of all ages have explored nature after dark at the RVOEP. They’ve called Great Horned Owls, looked through telescopes, listened to myths and legends about the night sky, and learned about the special adaptations of nocturnal animals. All this while bats stealthily hunted overhead!
These RVOEP hands-on educational experiences have given students the chance to develop essential understandings about their planet and its life-support systems. Students have had the opportunity to gain a love of nature, a sense of adventure, and the knowledge and skills that will help them make intelligent decisions about the future of their planet.
Cathy Monroe, Bill Smith, Jean and Steve Lincoln, Duane Wells, Chuck Williams, Chuck Vaughn, Dennis Slota, Judy Corcoran, Helen Menasian, Wendy Pollitz, Phyllis Binder, Lynn Zimmerman, UUSD, Adam Steinbuck, Patty Madigan, Nicole Porter, Jonah Freedman
RVOEP is grateful for the support of our members, sponsors, and the many individuals and businesses in our community who have donated time, materials, and services. View the lists of members, donors, supportors and grantors in the latest RVOEP newsletter.
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